Daughter of Magic
by Dream Dragoness
Summary: After saving Cadence from the Changelings, Twilight was thrown into another world where she is human. Twelve years later, the gate is open again and a sinister force has taken Twilight. While the search for Twilight Sparkle is on, the Mane 5 are tasked to helping Twilight's ten year-old hybrid daughter: Aurora, adjust to the world of Equestria. This story is about family and love.
1. Life Anew

**Chapter 1**

**Life Anew**

_Hiya! It must be New FanFic Month for me. I've actually been working on this idea for a while and surprisingly this was inspired by The Sims 3: Island Paradise game. I'm adding the first two chapters today and see how things go. _

_This fic takes place after "A Canterlot Wedding." I think it was an ok season finale, but I often wondered if other things could be different. Season 3 onward, including Equestria Girls, does not exist in this fic._

_This, while does focus on Twilight, it also largely focuses on her half-pony daughter: Aurora. _

_I only own Aurora and any future OC's. The rest belongs to Hasbro._

* * *

_12 years prior…_

Of all the things he could've said, why couldn't have he said something less terrible. Sure, she was suspicious, but he shouldn't have gone so far. Even when it had been exposed to her that her sister-in-law to be was a fake, those words haunted her as she and the real bride raced through caverns of crystal. Now, just as the wedding was about to begin, their foes blocked their path. Narrowing her violet eyes, she spoke to her former foalsitter.

"I'll take care of them. Go!"

She was reluctant at first, but time was running out, so the bride past by the insect-like ponies and dashed for the exit. The creatures were about to turn when a blast of magic stopped them.

"Leave her alone!" The lavender pony shouted.

Enraged, they attacked her. Despite her magic and developing skills, she received many beatings from her foes, bruising her flesh and cracking her bones.

It hurt, yes. But it was for a good cause. For her brother and his bride. One of the creatures struck her in the gut, causing her to kneel as she gasped for breath. They then chittered something amongst each other, the only their body language gave her an understanding on what's going on. They were motioning amongst each other to bring her mangled body somewhere and she only got the idea when two of the creatures picked her up by her hooves and dragged her to an adjoining chamber.

In the chamber was an arch with images of alicorns carved into it, the beneath the arch was a strange light that illuminated only a small fraction of the chamber. Menacing green eyes narrowed in wicked glee as she realized what they were going to do.

They were going to throw her in.

She struggled to get out of their grasp, but with her injuries and the loss of energy, she was unable to escape as she was thrown into the fading portal.

**"NOOOOOOOOOO!"**

* * *

On a group of islands unfamiliar to Equestria, a human boy of fifteen was riding his bicycle down a winding road as the sun began to set. His short brunette hair moved in the wind and his clothing, composed of a brown jacket, a green shirt, blue jeans, and white tennis shoes protected his body from the breeze.

He was hoping to get to the docks before the sun could set in order to get home on a neighboring island. But he wasn't near his destination when a flash of light caught his eyes. It came from a lone island northwest of the archipelago. Curious, he pedaled down to the docks and freed his sailboat he would take every day across the islands and to save time, he placed the motor he used in emergencies into the water and took off.

Once he reached the island, he looked around the foliage until he neared the base of the plateau when he saw her. A girl his age with straight, indigo hair with a pink highlight and a purple highlight down the center of her hair. And she was in the buff with a magenta star tattoo on her 'flank'. A blush overcame the boy's face as he reached towards her to wake her.

"Hey. Are you…"

But his voice trailed off as he saw bruises and cuts on the girl's body.

Worried, he tested her arm and felt that at least one of her bones was broken. His eyes widening, he reached into his pocket and dialed the emergency number.

"Hello? Yes, I need an ambulance. I found an unconscious girl on Fortuna Island with bruising, cuts, and I'm pretty sure she has some broken bones. My name is John O'Reilly."

John then called his parents to let him know what was happening before the ambulance boat arrived.

* * *

_Back in Equestria…_

It had been about five minutes since the defeat of the queen of the Changelings and already celebration was in order. In the ceremonial chamber, the real bride and the groom were talking with the princess and five other ponies.

"Well, now that the queen and her Changelings have been defeated, shall we get ready for the real wedding?" Princess Celestia spoke with a kind smile.

The groom nodded before he noticed there was a pony missing.

"Where's Twilight?"

Remembering her future sister-in-law, the bride spoke in worry.

"She's still down in the caverns where I was imprisoned!"

Heeding the bride, the eight ponies entered the caverns with her in the lead. But as they find themselves in the caves, they found no trace of her.

"Are ya sure she's here, Princess Cadence?" the orange, freckled pony with the Stetson hat asked.

"Yes. This was where we parted. Twilight stayed behind so I could get away." The bride, Cadence, replied.

Now the groom was getting worried. Where was his little sister? And he wasn't the only one. All of the ponies present were getting worried. After thirty minutes of nothing, Cadence remembered something she had seen when she was imprisoned.

"Wait a minute…"

She then headed towards the entrance of the cavern where she got separated from Twilight and looked around in a different corridor until she saw something familiar. "Over here!" The princess, the groom, and the five friends followed Cadence's voice until they found her in front of the strange arch that Twilight saw. The only difference is that the light that Twilight saw earlier was gone.

Celestia recognized the arch.

"I don't believe this. The Gate of Sleipnir."

"Who-the-what-now?" The rainbow manned cyan Pegasus, Rainbow Dash, asked.

"Sleipnir. One of the ancient pony gods. Legends say that he created a magical gate that can take a pony to another world. Unfortunately, the gate can only stay open for three days every twelve years."

**"TWELVE YEARS!"** the ponies cried out in shock, fearing the worst.

Cadence spoke up. "I was able to overhear that the queen was going to toss me into another world using this gate once she took over Equestria. If that's true, then…"

Tears filled the bride's eyes as she now figured out what happened to her future sister-in-law. The others, especially the groom, refused to believe such a fate would befall on one pony.

"Check the caves again! Maybe she's hiding somewhere!" Rainbow Dash cried out in desperation.

The others were about to agree when the princess, Celestia, spoke. "I'm afraid the deed is already done. I had just casted a detection spell and the only source of life in these caves are ourselves."

She then looked sadly at the gate.

"I am afraid Twilight Sparkle…is lost to us."

The ponies' inner worlds fell into a piercing silence. The groom, however, was shattered emotionally. His little sister, the only one who was able to detect that something was wrong with his wedding and his dearest friend, was gone.

"No. It can't be." He choked as tears began to fall from his eyes.

His guilt over his lack of action and the hurtful words he had said to her earlier created more tears.

This was _his_ fault.

As Cadence began to comfort her fiancé, she looked to Celestia and spoke.

"I think we should postpone the wedding."

There wasn't a single argument against that, but it could be seen that the five smaller ponies believed that Twilight was still alive.

However, it was going to be a long wait to truly know what had become of her.

* * *

_Meanwhile, with Twilight…_

Twilight struggled to get a grip on her consciousness. Whatever those creatures did to her, it was quite a number. While she was mentally conscious, her body was too weak to respond right away.

_"I how it's only sleep paralysis. Please let it be only sleep paralysis!"_

It felt like hours before she managed to open her eyes to find herself in an unfamiliar surroundings. Looking around, she was able to quickly deduce that she was in a hospital. Could somepony found her and brought her here?

But she got the shock of her life as she reach for her head, only to find that instead of a hoof, it was some sort of five-digit appendage in a peach-colored tone. She looked down and saw that her entire body had changed. Even though she couldn't see due to the sheets and the hospital gown, she figure she was bipedal and oddly-shaped. She had two mounds on her chest and she felt no tail beneath her.

She wanted to scream, but was too weak.

Suddenly, the door to the room opened up and, to Twilight's further surprise, a biped similar to her new body although she could also see some differences.

_"Was this…a male?" _

The male smiled as he stepped in, she could see that he was holding a vase filled with lilacs, her favorite flowers.

"I see you've finally woken up. You've been out for three days."

Twilight's plum eyes struggled to widen.

_"Three days?! What about the wedding? What about everypony?"_

The male set the lilacs on the table next to her before he sat down.

"I found you unconscious, naked, and beaten up pretty badly." He said as he blushed at the second condition. "I called an ambulance and had you brought here. Doctors said a good portion of your bones were broken, but they should heal in time. Nothing too damaging, thankfully."

As Twilight listened to the story, her thoughts drifted from Equestria to the male. He was so kind as to call for help and from the look of the additional vases of flowers across the room, he had been coming at least once a day.

For her.

"Wh-where…in the world…am I?" She managed to ask.

The male raised an eyebrow at the question.

"Uh…I just told you. You're in a hospital."

"No. I mean…what land am I in." She managed to mutter.

The male folded his arms, confused.

"You're in the Divine Archipelago. This hospital we're in is on Solis Island."

Divine Archipelago? Solis Island? Where in the world was she? Unless…she wasn't in her own world.

_"That could explain the different body."_

"But where are my manners. My name's John O'Reilly. Can you tell me your name?"

She thought for a moment. She was in a world where nopony was familiar and ponies weren't the dominant race. Not to mention there was by far no way she could get back without knowing how she got here in the first place. This left her with one option.

She had to adapt.

"My name is…Twilight Sparkle."

* * *

_Narration…_

Things had been difficult on both sides of the gate, but while the ponies of Equestria were dealing with their apparent loss, Twilight was adapting well into her new environment. It was a couple of more days before she could tell John about her true identity and of Equestria. At first, he thought it was because of the drugs the doctors were giving her. But her eyes told him she wasn't lying. So he agreed that once Twilight was well, he'd help her adapt to this new world.

The first hard part was finding a place for Twilight to live. He couldn't tell his parents. He would've had to give a lengthy explanation to his parents and there was no way they would believe him or Twilight. So that left them with one other option: make Twilight a new home.

They both agreed that if the portal does open again, it would most likely be on Fortuna Island. So over the summer, the two got to work in making a small cabin until they could expand. John then taught her how to sail and how to act like a human, as Twilight soon found out what they were called.

When fall came close, Twilight went and got enrolled at the same school as John. She stayed close to him once school started, but eventually she made some new friends. Since John was her only ride to Fortuna Island by far, Twilight had to make sure they weren't late to catch any ferries.

But over time, Twilight and John soon fell in love. At first, they both tried to deny it, knowing it would be awkward for them. But love was stronger and by the end of the first year, the two started dating. And when graduation came two years later, John proposed and the two immediately married before entering college.

Because of his love of ancient history, John decided to study archeology; while Twilight studied to become a teacher. And thanks to her high scores, it wouldn't take her long to get her degree. But during their first year of marriage, Twilight and John received an immense blessing.

Twilight was pregnant.

While studying, Twilight spent most of her free time reading about becoming a mother, both excited and afraid, with good reason. She feared for her baby's health. Would it be alright? Would it have attributes the same as its mother? Would it look like a human or a pony?

Needless to say, John had to be careful at what he had to say.

But with this great news came sadness. John's parents, who loved Twilight like their daughter, were killed in a hurricane that came shortly after graduation, leaving the young couple with a small inheritance. John decided to use this to build a better house for him and his family. With his childhood home destroyed by the same hurricane, he recycled the lumber and paid architects to build them a two-story red farmhouse with two bedrooms and a front porch.

A few months later, Twilight gave birth to a healthy baby girl.

When John came to see her, she was lying in the same hospital bed where they had met. And in her arms was their baby daughter, wrapped in a blanket, and very human. Like the first time Twilight saw him, her husband had a lilac bouquet. This time, with red roses.

"Isn't she beautiful?" The former unicorn said with tearful glee.

The infant eyes remained closed, but had inherited her mother's hair coloring.

"Just like her mother." John replied as he gave his wife a one-armed hug.

He then asked something that had been bothering him for a while.

"When are you going to tell her? You know. About your history?"

Twilight knew what he was talking about. She wanted her daughter to know about her pony heritage, yet at the same time she didn't want her to be an outcast because of that.

"I'll have to tell you when I know." She told her husband.

John shook his head.

"You know the longer you wait, the harder it will be to tell her."

"I know. But I want her to grow up with a normal childhood. If I tell her too soon, it could harm her."

John didn't say any more about the subject. He knew one day, they would have to tell their daughter the truth: that she was half human, half unicorn, and her mother was a unicorn from another world called Equestria.

But Twilight was right. They should let the child experience normal human life first.

Wanting to be rid of the silence, Twilight spoke. "So…what should we call her?"

That changed John's mood as he smiled at his wife.

"I think I have the perfect name for her."

Twilight raised an eyebrow as she smirked.

"Oh? And what name would that be?"

John answered Twilight's question as he stroked their daughter's soft hair.

"I say we name her after her beautiful mother, but I didn't want to confuse you both during her life. So I say we should call her…'Aurora.'"

Immediately, Twilight loved the name.

"Perfect."

Then she spoke to her magnum opus.

"Welcome, my little Aurora."

* * *

_Please Review_


	2. Ten-Year Reunion

**Chapter 2**

**Ten-Year Reunion**

_Before you read, please note that the emotions Aurora displays in this chapter are not permament. She's just worried about her mother._

_I do not own anything but Aurora and future OC's. Rest belongs to Hasbro._

* * *

_10 years after the last chapter…_

It was first day of summer vacation and Twilight was able to relax after another hard year of teaching. She was relaxing in her favorite rocking chair on the porch of her house, facing the islands as the sweet, salty air greeted her lungs. From her island, she had a beautiful view of the town that contently sat on the specks of land, hardly changing, living at one with nature.

This was Twilight's favorite spot from the house as the view and air eased her. Especially this particular year after hearing the terrible news. Her husband, John, was working at an archeological dig in Egypt when one of the support beams broke, trapping John and several workers in the tomb they were excavating. According to the workers, John dug furiously to help get the workers out before the collapse could finish them.

Unfortunately, John never made it out in time.

Hearing the news was one of the worst days of Twilight's life. She was grateful for the faculty to give her paid leave to mourn and received a surprise from her former and present students: cards and handmade crafts that showed their symphony.

But the one person she was most grateful for was her own daughter: Aurora.

Despite her own sorrows in losing her father, Aurora was the one who kept Twilight's depression in check, calling for help whenever it got too deep. It was near Thanksgiving when it finally got into the new widow's head that John wouldn't want her to be so depressed. He would've wanted her to continue to live and raise their daughter.

Besides, she had a promise to keep to him.

With her slow recovery, Twilight was able to teach the second semester and relieve the students and faculty. Now, she was able to relax and plan for the future.

The sound of the front door opening was enough to break Twilight out of her stupor and turn her attention to that particular direction. Standing in front of the door was a human girl about ten. She had indigo hair with two pink stripes like Twilight's, only her hair was wavy. She was dressed in a teal one-piece swimsuit and held a windsurfing board under her arm. Hanging across her body was a satchel with a button made from an animal claw she found.

The girl set her amethyst eyes to the former unicorn.

"You ok, Mom?"

Twilight nodded at the child.

"I am, Aurora. I'm just relaxing in the breeze."

The girl, Aurora, placed a hand on her mother's shoulder and spoke again.

"You know, I don't have to go."

But Twilight shook her head as she smiled.

"No, sweetheart. You should go out and have some fun. It's the first day of summer vacation, after all, and aren't you looking for new shells for your collection?"

Aurora was hesitant. Since her father died, she had been worried about her mother non-stop. While she was happy that Twilight was making a recovery, she still worried about a possible relapse.

"Well…I'll come back at lunch, just in case."

Twilight hugged her daughter, letting her know she had nothing to fear.

"Don't worry. The most I'll be doing today is grocery shopping. No need to call the hotline."

It took a while before Aurora could agree with her mother.

"Alright, Mom. Just take it easy, ok?"

She then headed down to the island's beach.

"I'll see you at lunch!"

"I'll see you then, Aurora!" Twilight called down as her daughter began to sail off to a neighboring island on her windsurfing board.

Once Aurora was out of sight, Twilight went inside her home and collected her purse and grocery list after she got dressed from her pajamas and into a lavender sundress and her hair was brushed, soon donning a white sunhat with a magenta flower on it.

Once she ready, she grabbed some shoes and headed down to Fortuna's docks. She placed her purse and shoes into a sailboat she often used to reach the other islands. Her bicycle and its trailer were already in the boat as she got in and unmoored from the dock. It was her late husband who taught her how to sail and found the experience quite relaxing.

As she sailed to the largest island, Solis, she found herself going over her memories and focused on the ones where she took her baby down to the boat and let the sea rock them to get Aurora to calm down. Especially since she was fussy as a baby.

After docking in her usual spot on the large island, Twilight got her bicycle onto the dock and hitched the trailer before putting her shoes on and pedaling off. This was another thing her husband had taught her during her first year as a human and like him, preferred this method of transportation than the automobiles on the island.

It didn't take Twilight long to reach the local grocery store. After locking her bicycle, Twilight took the list out of her purse and began to shop. She hit the produce section heavily since she and John had decided to stick with her vegan diet and passed this on to Aurora. Something they took into preparing if the three of them ever make it to Equestria.

As she examined the apples, she couldn't help but think of Applejack and the Apple family. This, in turn, would make her think of everypony she was forced to leave behind. And eventually, turned towards her late husband. Thankfully, her thoughts broke as a familiar voice called out to her.

"Twyla! Hello! How've you been, dear?"

Twilight turned her attention to where the voice was coming from and found it belonged to one of her friends on the faculty.

It was John's suggestion that her name be changed to Twyla to avoid suspicion and used it in her relations outside her family.

Talking to the teacher kept Twilight's thoughts in check as she continued to shop. Once she was done, she bid the teacher farewell and loaded her groceries onto the trailer and returned to the boat.

But as she sailed back to Fortuna Island, a flash of light caught her eyes. It fit the description John had told her when she arrived in this world.

So could this mean…?

Having only used it for storms or emergencies, Twilight moved to the back of the boat and turned on the motor. Once she reached the island and moored, Twilight left the groceries behind and dashed toward the area where John had found her.

Sure enough, there were two bare women lying unconscious on the forest floor next to a glowing portal.

One woman had pale pink hair that flowed gently on the ground and had equally pale sink. On her flank were three very familiar pink butterflies.

The second woman had a bit of a tan on her as well as some freckles on her face. She had blond hair that was tied at the end and not far from her was a Stetson hat. On her flank was also a familiar mark: three apples.

"Applejack?! Fluttershy?!" Twilight gasped.

She quickly checked their vitals only to find that they were only unconscious and not in the same condition she came in. But still, Twilight took her old friends to her house and gathered some clothing. She helped on Fluttershy a green sundress and a red one for Applejack. Once she had them dressed and propped on the couch that sat at the side of the stairs, Twilight returned to the dock to collect the groceries. It took her a few trips in order to get them all inside, each time she came inside, she checked to see if the other ex-ponies were awake. So far, nothing.

Sighing, she got to work on putting groceries away while she went over what she was going to say to them and the possibility of Aurora finding them here and the secret gets out. But as she kept herself busy, she failed to notice that the ex-ponies were awakening.

Upon awakening, Applejack rubbed her eyes as she sat up.

"Hoo-wee. What a trip. You ok, Fluttershy?"

Simultaneously, Fluttershy performed the same action as she answered the Element of Honesty.

"I…I think so."

But she fell silent as she realized that her hoof was no longer a hoof. Applejack also took notice before she and Fluttershy looked towards each other and found a different body instead.

A loud pair of screams came from the living room, nearly causing Twilight to drop a jar of jam on the table. Taking in a few breaths, she calmed herself before facing the archway that lead from her wooden kitchen into her living room.

"Looks like they're awake." She muttered.

Leaving the kitchen, she found the two women screaming amongst themselves as they examined their new bodies.

"What the hay happened to my body!" Applejack shouted.

Fluttershy fell silent as she saw a strange creature that looked similar to them behind Applejack. Clearing her throat, Twilight got Applejack's attention for the first time in twelve years.

"There's no need to scream. The portal you came through changed your body to fit in this world."

Applejack narrowed her eyes as she struggled to stand like the creature before her.

"And how do YOU know that?"

Calmly, Twilight answered her.

"Because it happened to me…twelve years ago."

Suddenly, a connection was made in the ex-ponies' minds. It was a possibility, but one they couldn't ignore. It was Fluttershy who dared to ask the question.

"Twilight?"

Twilight gave a nervous smile, nodding ever so slightly.

"Long time, Fluttershy. You too, Applejack."

To Twilight's surprise, however, despite the inability to walk on two legs yet, Fluttershy and Applejack got up and glomped her. Normally, this would be something she could see Pinkie Pie doing. But Applejack and Fluttershy? Could this mean…?

"Oh thank goodness! Twilight! We found you!" Fluttershy called happily with tears in her teal eyes.

"We was lookin' for ya since Cadence and Shinin' Armor defeated the changelings. When we found the gate, we were too late!" Applejack explained, tears in her emerald orbs.

Despite the many questions in Twilight's head, she let her emotions get out as she hugged the two women, for once crying in happiness.

"I missed you both so much."

After hugging, the two ex-ponies began to exchange their stories with the ex-unicorn. After discovering the Gate of Sleipnir and that it only opens for three days every twelve years, the ponies had to wait about a month before the real wedding could take place, although it was, as Rainbow Dash had put it, 20% less happy than it should. The reason they had to wait was for everypony to recover from the loss of Twilight Sparkle.

As time went, things had become sort of "grey" for the Elements of Harmony. Spike, Twilight's faithful dragon assistant since his hatching at her magic exam, had taken over as head librarian at the Ponyville library. Rainbow Dash still worked on her moves, but they weren't as dazzling as they used to be. Rarity still made fabulous outfits, but with less enthusiasm than before. In fact, she made an entire line star-themed in memory of Twilight. And Pinkie Pie deflated from her usual self, but continued to perform for parties. Although she was soon restricted to helping around Sugar Cube Corner when her depression went further.

Princess Cadence and Shining Armor soon after inherited a place called the Crystal Empire after it reappeared from a thousand-year disappearance. Twilight was proud of Spike once she heard that he with the help of Applejack managed to find a missing element to the Crystal Empire and saved it forever from the empire's wicked former king.

When the twelve years were coming to an end, Applejack and Fluttershy both returned to Canterlot to ask Princess Celestia if they could watch the gate for anything. Despite the gate being guarded since that day, Celestia agreed and a few minutes ago the portal opened.

"…and so here we are." Applejack concluded, her throat parched.

After teaching the ex-ponies how to hold a water bottle, Twilight told them of her time in the human world. Of course, both AJ and Fluttershy did a spit take once she got to the middle.

"You got _married!?"_ Applejack coughed.

Twilight nodded as she got up to bring a picture of her and her family to her two friends.

"Yes. John was so wonderful and I couldn't help but fall in love with him. Soon after, I gave birth to a beautiful baby girl."

Immediately, Fluttershy took Twilight's photo and immediately went, "Aww!"

Applejack looked at the picture and did the same thing, with added dialogue.

"Why, Twilight. She's purdier than the last Zap Apple blossom on the tree."

Twilight laughed, despite the confusing lingo.

"Thank you, Applejack. Her name is Aurora."

Fluttershy beamed.

"It's a perfect name for her. I hope we get to meet her and your husband."

That made Twilight's face sadden, catching the attention of the ex-ponies.

"Twilight? Everything ok?" Applejack, concerned for their friend.

Sighing, Twilight answered her.

"I'm sorry, girls. But…John died a few months ago in an accident."

This caused the two to gasp as they hugged their friend.

"Oh, Twilight. I'm so sorry. I had no idea-"

"None of you had any idea, Fluttershy. To be honest, I'm still getting over losing him myself." Twilight interrupted them.

She then stood up and walked over to a fireplace and took something from the mantle: a Ming urn about the size of a watermelon.

"But before he died, we made a promise."

"And what promise is that, Twilight?" Applejack asked, eying curiously at the urn.

Cradling the urn, Twilight answered her.

"I promised him that when the opportunity arises, I would take my family to Equestria, to see where I came from. He was the one who asked that his remains would be cremated, so that even in death, I could still fulfil my promise and take him with me."

Now the former ponies understood. The urn held John's ashes.

"But what about Aurora?" Fluttershy managed to ask.

Twilight sighed as she placed the urn back on the mantle.

"To be honest, I never told her of her Equestrian heritage. As far as she knows, she's a normal human child."

This caused the women to gasp in shock.

"You _never_ told her? But what about Equestria? Your promise to your husband?" Fluttershy asked.

Sighing, Twilight looked out to the window, seeing Aurora beginning to sail back as promised.

"I know I should tell her soon. But I'm afraid for her. Afraid she'd become an outcast in Equestria and here."

Managing to stand, Applejack spoke as she struggled to walk to Twilight.

"We understand, Twilight. You want what's best for your daughter. But the longer you keep it a secret, the harder it will be once she eventually knows. And the portal will stay open for another two days. Once they're up, it'll be closed for another twelve years. Do you really want her to know once she's grown up instead? Don't ya want to go back to Equestria?"

Twilight knew Applejack was right. For years, she longed to go back to Equestria with her family. But her fears kept her from doing something important during the past ten years.

Seeing Aurora approaching the house, Twilight made her choice.

"I'll try and tell her tonight. If she's ok with it, we'll move to Equestria. But could the two of you keep this a secret until then?"

Applejack nodded.

"Sure thing, sugar cube."

"Of course, Twilight. If you need us to help in any other way, we'll be happy to help."

Smiling at the pair, Twilight spoke.

"Thank you both."

She then headed to the kitchen.

"But for now, how about I treat you both to lunch? You must be quite hungry after your trip."

Growling stomachs answered her question as she went into the kitchen to make a meal for four just as Aurora came in.

"Mom! I'm home. You should see the lagoon. It's covered in shells…"

She then trailed off as she saw the two strange women sitting on the couch in her house.

"Mom?"

Twilight then called out from the kitchen.

"I heard you, sweetheart. Those two in the living room are friends from my hometown: Applejack and Fluttershy. Girls, that's my daughter: Aurora."

The two smiled at the girl as she walked forward.

"Well nice to meet ya, sugar cube. I'm Applejack. And this one's Fluttershy."

"Very nice to meet you, Aurora." Fluttershy spoke.

Aurora didn't know what to make of this. These two were strangers with strange names in her home, yet her mother, who also had a strange real name, was familiar with them. Yet, she could somehow sense that these two are ok.

So, being polite, she spoke.

"Nice to meet you, too." She then look to herself. "Sorry for my appearance. I was shell-collecting. I'll be back down in a minute."

She then left the others and headed up the stairs to get changed. Once she got back down, the four of them began to enjoy a nice meal. It relieved her greatly that her mother was truly smiling again and not half-smiling as she's done for the past few months. And despite some obviously chopped up bits, she enjoyed the two women's stories about her mother.

Perhaps things will be back to normal soon.

Once lunch was done and Aurora went back to her room to tend to the new shells she collected, the three ex-ponies gathered around the hidden portal.

"Ok. So you'll tell everypony about what you've learned?" Twilight asked.

Applejack nodded as she spoke.

"Eeyup. And we'll make sure that, if Aurora says yes, Pinkie will only put on a small party. Don't wanna scare the little darlin', do we?"

"And we'll also let Princess Celestia know about this. I'm sure she'll be happy to meet you both."

With a nod, Twilight spoke once more.

"Alright. We'll meet back here in the morning. Hopefully, all goes well."

Placing a hand on Twilight's shoulder, Applejack spoke before she and Fluttershy returned to Equestria.

"Good luck, Twilight."

Once her friends were gone, Twilight was now charged with the most difficult task she ever had to take: telling Aurora the truth of her heritage and convincing her to move to Equestria.

* * *

_Please review._


	3. Taken

**Chapter 3**

**Taken**

_I'm glad this fic is catching on. The scene below was inspired by the movie "Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland." This took me 8 pages to complete. May edit in the future._

_I do not own MLP or Little Nemo._

* * *

Twilight paced back and forth in her living room that night. Aurora had gone upstairs to get ready for bed and Twilight was going over on how to tell her daughter the truth.

"Ok. 'Aurora, sweetie, there's something I have to tell you. I'm a Unicorn.' No. That's too obscure. How about, 'Aurora? Have you ever wondered where I came from?' No, that's not gonna work. She'll think I mean something else."

She then sat on the couch and sighed as she looked at her husband's urn.

"You were right, John. I should have told her when she was younger."

Hearing footsteps, Twilight stood up and headed up the stairs. With each step, her heart beat faster, dreading on what her own child would say. Compared with being Princess Celestia's protégé, being a mother was hard. But it was a worthy title to her.

She entered her daughter's room, where Aurora was already in bed but not asleep. She was wearing a pair of lilac pajamas that had a maroon collar. Seeing her mother, Aurora spoke.

"Everything ok, Mom?"

Twilight took in a deep breath before sitting down on her daughter's bed.

"Sort of, sweetie. I've just been thinking about something."

Now Aurora was alert. Whenever her mother said that she was thinking about something, she would have a different face. And Aurora grew to know that the face that Twilight was making was one of anxiety.

"Mom? You remember those deep breathing exercises Dad taught you, right?"

Twilight gave a chuckle as she blushed, remembering the time she originally thought she was _supposed _to send a Friendship report at least once a week and went crazy with her fears and worries. And unfortunately, that type of worry would plague her with different subjects.

"Don't worry. It's not that kind of thinking." _"At least, not what you're thinking."_ Twilight thought.

She then took a breath and spoke.

"Aurora. Do you remember the stories I told you when you were little?"

Aurora raised an eyebrow.

"You mean the ones where there is a world of ponies that talked and acted like humans and the ponies were made up of normal ponies, pegasi, and unicorns? What about them?"

"Well, what would you think if those stories were true?"

Now Aurora was wondering if her mother finally gone off the deep end. Her mother made up those stories, right? To put her to sleep at bedtime?

"Well…it would be weird, but I guess it would be neat. I mean, I loved those stories when I was little. In fact, I used to wish very hard that those stories were real and I could learn magic."

That last bit made Twilight smile. If Aurora was truly like her mother, there was a possibility that she could have inherited her mother's magical abilities. It was Twilight's biggest dream to teach her daughter everything she knew about magic and to see her grow as an accomplished sorceress.

So maybe, just maybe, this would be easier than she originally thought.

"Well, what would you say that…" But Twilight failed to complete as she heard the sound of crashing downstairs. "What was that?" She managed to end her sentence.

Both mother and daughter felt that something wasn't right. No one would be dumb enough to sail to their island and Twilight knew her friends would be back tomorrow morning.

"Burglars?" Aurora asked, inching closer to her mother.

Twilight gulped at the possibility of it being so.

"Wait here." She told Aurora.

Quietly, she retreated to her room and got a baseball bat from her closet. Her house did have a security system, but why did it not go off? She had it checked every month despite the fact that the only big crimes on the islands were vandalism and shoplifting. As she made her way down the steps, Twilight pleaded internally that with the portal open, she would be able to perform magic again.

But as she reached the ground floor and flipped a light switch, she found nothing. Her husband's urn was safe, thankfully, but what of the invader? Carefully, Twilight, peered into the kitchen and bathroom, once again finding nothing. It was strange. She was sure she heard a crash. Aurora heard it too. So why did it sound like something did a few minutes ago?

Her answer came as she looked at the front door. The screen and glass door was shattered. How could she had not seen it before? And how is it that the intruder could smash her door, but not enter her home.

"MOM!"

Twilight's ears picked up a scream coming from the stairs and immediately, her maternal instincts went into overdrive. Aurora was a brave girl. She would never scream like that unless she was in trouble. And judging from the volume, something was _defiantly _scaring her.

Twilight dashed up the stair and burst through the door to find some sort of black sludge creeping into her daughter's room from the window at frightening speed. Aurora was already at the door when her mother came in as the sludge began to expand in the room.

"What is that!?" Aurora cried out.

Twilight said nothing but held her daughter in terror. There was nothing like this in any of the books she had read. It wasn't a disease or a form of animal.

But whatever it was, it was alive and was on the hunt.

"Twilight… Sparkle…" A voice came from the sludge. "Twilight…Sparkle…"

Twilight's eyes widened further as the sludge breathed in and out her name.

It was after _her_!

Without a second thought, she grabbed her daughter by the hand and ran out the room with her, slamming the door behind her. Once they reached the bottom of the stairs, Twilight grabbed John's urn and handed it to her daughter, knowing where to go.

Aurora looked up to her mother as they could hear the sludge perusing them. The two of them ran out the door to find their house was being overrun with the sludge, coming after them like a slimy serpent. Perhaps they could escape into the sea? They had her mother's sailboat, they could get off the island at least.

But Twilight took Aurora to a place different from the dock: the lone forest that was on the island. When she was little, the forest was the one place on the island she couldn't go into without one or both of her parents. It was a strange rule, since there were no predators on the island, so how could a forest be dangerous.

It was then that Aurora noticed something different about the forest: it was glowing.

"This way, Aurora! There's a place in there that will take us to safety!" Her mother told her.

They worked their way towards the center of the forest until they came across a glowing light. Unbeknownst to Aurora, the same light Twilight saw many years ago.

"Through there!" Twilight called.

But as they were about to jump through, the sludge caught up to them and seized Twilight with so much force that both mother and child flew through the portal. As they passed through the light, Aurora felt a strange sensation at her lower half. Too scared to open her eyes, she failed to notice an immediate change as they came out of the portal.

Opening her eyes, Aurora was met with shock as she looked at her mother. She was no longer human, but looked like a pony about three-quarter's her size. Her hair remained the same, but had a matching tail. Her fur was lavender with a magenta star and six white smaller stars on her flank. On her forehead was a horn. Aurora realized what her mother had become.

"Mom? Are you…"

But she couldn't finish her sentence as the sludge came forth and grabbed Twilight, ripping her from her daughter's grasp.

"MOM!" Aurora screamed, too focused on her mother to notice her surroundings.

As the sludge held Twilight, a wicked male laugh boomed as glowing red eyes came from the black sludge, glaring at both mother and child. The child was frozen in place as the sludge formed a sinister giant hand and slowly reached out to her. Seeing that the sludge was going after her daughter next, Twilight powered up her horn and sent an energy blast at the muck.

"Stay away from her!"

The blast splattered the mire hand but forced the eyes to focus on Twilight. Suddenly, it covered her in sludge like how two hands capture a fly. Seeing this, something in Aurora snapped.

**"NO!" **

Suddenly, a light appeared out of nowhere and shone brightly at the sludge, its howling indicating it was in pain because of this light. From what Aurora could see, it was coming from her forehead.

It was clear to the sludge that this light was very powerful and that if it stayed long enough, it would be destroyed. Seeing there was no choice, the sludge dove into itself and released a cloud of black smoke as the sound of an explosion was heard.

As the light faded, Aurora fell to her stomach, one arm protecting her father's urn, reached out to the origin point of the smoke as she uttered a word.

"Mom…"

With tears in her eyes, Aurora's world soon went black.

* * *

The sound of the explosion did not go unheard of. Almost all of the castle residents heard it, but it was Princess Celestia who first awoke not at the sound, but by the emergence of a great power soon preceding the explosion. From where the princess could locate it, it came from the caverns below.

"The Gate…"

Immediately, Celestia left her bed and retreated down the corridors. She stopped at one room and knocked hastily. The door soon opened to reveal a tired Applejack, back in her pony form, and struggling to keep awake.

"Princess? What are ya doin' knockin' on doors in the middle of the night?"

"No time to explain. Just wake Fluttershy and meet me at the Gate of Sleipnir." Said the princess.

Upon hearing the location, Applejack fully woke up and headed down the hall to Fluttershy's room, leaving her hat behind. Upon answering the door, Fluttershy asked the same question Applejack asked the princess. And just like Applejack, she became alert once she heard that something was happening at the Gate.

The two Elements made their way down to the caverns, soon greeted by the princess.

"What's the problem, princess?" Applejack asked.

Celestia turned her gaze to a fallen form before the Gate. It was a strange creature, for it had a lavender pony body, but where the head should be was the upper body of another creature. Upon seeing the creature's mane, Applejack and Fluttershy became worried.

"Is that…?" Fluttershy asked as Applejack turned the head to get a good look at the face.

Thanks to the light of the portal, the farmpony could see who this creature was.

"I don't believe it. It's Aurora!"

* * *

After placing Aurora in one of the guest chambers sometime later, Fluttershy waited for Applejack and the princess to return. Seeing Aurora alone made them worry and while Fluttershy was tasked with staying with Aurora, Applejack went through the Gate to see if she could find Twilight at her home while Princess Celestia searched the caverns with her guards.

Every fifteen minutes to an hour, Fluttershy came into Aurora's room and checked on the guest. From what she could see, the stress of whatever happened coupled with the power of the Gate took its toll on the child. The butter-colored Pegasus would dab a damp washcloth on the girl's forehead, hoping it would grant the child comfort.

After an hour had passed, Fluttershy came out of the chamber to find both Applejack and Celestia approaching, both with solemn looks on their faces.

"What…what's wrong?"

Looking at the Pegasus, Celestia spoke.

"I'm afraid something terrible has happened to Twilight. She is nowhere in the caverns and Applejack has just informed me that no one was home and that it looked like they were attacked."

"Attacked?" Fluttershy gasped quietly out of sheer habit.

Applejack nodded.

"The house was a mess and windows and doors were shattered. I saw a black trail of sorts make its way around the house and back to here. The trail ends just a couple feet from where we found Aurora."

Fluttershy covered her mouth with her hooves to silence another gasp as the princess spoke.

"I have just contacted my sister to peer into Aurora's memories to see what had happened. By far, the poor child is the only witness as to what happened."

"And how long will that take, princess?" Applejack asked, her gaze focused on the door and the child behind it. "And what are we gonna do about Aurora once she wakes up?"

Celestia became silent in thought. There was no way they could make the child return home after what she had heard. Looking to Applejack and Fluttershy, she had her answer.

"Applejack. Fluttershy. I must ask that you tend to Aurora both while she is sleeping and when she wakes. She knows you two and thus you have a better chance of talking with her without unintentionally instilling more fear in her. And while we wait for Luna's report, I'll send a letter to Spike and the rest of the Elements in Ponyville. She and I will send soldiers to the far reaches of Equestria if we have to if we are to find Twilight. I will send a chariot to Ponyville at once."

The Elements of Kindness and Honesty bowed to the princess as she left to perform her tasks. They then turned their attention towards each other.

"How about we take shifts. I'll watch her for two hours and you take the next two." Said Applejack.

Fluttershy nodded and returned to her room while Applejack wen inside the room to check on Aurora.

Applejack gazed sadly at the girl. She was going to be so heartbroken once she remembers what happened. This was, sadly, Applejack was familiar with. Although her parents were taken in a completely different fashion, the mare never felt so alone once she received the news. It took a while for her to recover after she and her siblings came into the care of her Granny Smith.

But for Aurora, it was going to be a worse feeling.

* * *

_In Ponyville…._

It was peace and quiet in the small village of Ponyville. The ponies who call this place home were nestled in their beds dreaming away. Near the village square was a large oak tree that doubled as the town's library. It had a door and windows, even a couple of balconies here and there. Inside, the tree was hollow, shelves carved out from the wooden walls and were filled with books. A set of stairs lead to the second floor of the tree, which was home to the head librarian. But the librarian wasn't a pony, no. He was a dragon.

Spike was a long and nimble adolescent dragon, no longer the small purple and green baby dragon that he was when he moved to Ponyville. He was about the size of a normal human teenager and had already grown in his wings. He was still learning how to control them, though.

It seemed to be another lonely night for the purple dragon, having missed Twilight, the one who hatched him and raised him so many years ago. After she disappeared, the Mane 5 took on the task of taking care of him, although he stayed in the library with Twilight's pet owl, Owlicious. As he grew older, the responsibilities of the library soon became an everyday thing. Nothing was new, good or bad.

But suddenly, Spike awoke from his sleep at a familiar case of indigestion and burped some green flames. From the flames, a scroll appeared. Curious, Spike opened the scroll and read its contents. His eyes widened as he read.

"Twilight? Her daughter? Come to Canterlot at once?!"

He tossed the blankets off him and headed down the steps of the library. He had to find his friends immediately. He first stopped at the local boutique and knocked furiously on the door. He kept knocking until a greyish-white unicorn with a curled violet answered the door.

Yawning, she spoke. "Spike? What are you doing waking ponies up in the middle of the night?"

Despite his long-standing crush on the unicorn, Spike held up the not for her to see.

"Read this, Rarity, and see."

Hoping to humor the dragon so she could go back to sleep, Rarity read the scroll, only to have the same reaction as Spike.

Looking up from the scroll, Rarity spoke. "I'll get some supplies from my shop. Go and get Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash."

Without another word, Spike headed to the local catering company, Sugar Cube Corner, and flapped his wings with all his might to the room of a pink pony. Knocking on the window, he managed to wake her up and motioned her to open the window. She yawned.

"Spike, it's too late for a slumber party. You'll wake up the twins."

After the wedding, Pinkie was very slowly reverting to her "normal" self, forcing herself to put on a smile for the shop owners' twins, who were about Aurora's age at the moment. Like with Rarity, Spike held up the scroll for Pinkie to see. Once she read it, her straight mane has regained some of its former curls, but about a quarter of what it used to be.

"Twilight is missing and has a daughter in Canterlot? Why didn't you tell me sooner? Who knows how many birthdays I've missed!"

But Spike shushed the Earth Pony.

"Quiet, Pinkie. Remember?"

Remembering, Pinkie saluted and opened her armoire and pulled out her cobweb-and-dust-covered party cannon.

As Pinkie got ready, Spike headed to the last place on his list: Rainbow Dash's home. Unlike his friends, Spike had to fly to a home-shaped cloud that hung near Ponyville. Granted, it wasn't the only cloud home in Ponyville, but Spike could pick out Rainbow Dash's home in a thick fog on the first try.

Upon reaching the cloud, Spike went to Rainbow Dash's bedroom window and knocked hard. The rainbow-haired Pegasus was a heavy sleeper, so the dragon had to put some effort into waking her up. When she did, she did not look happy until Spike shoved the parchment into her face.

That changed her mood.

The two fliers met up with Rarity and Pinkie at the square, both with suitcases, although Pinkie had her party cannon and Rarity had a cartful of fabric and sewing supplies.

Landing, Rainbow Dash spoke.

"I take it you got the word about…"

"Of course we did, Rainbow Dash. After all these years, we finally have some word about Twilight. Although I wish it was better news." Rarity replied.

"Are you kidding? Did you forget about Twilight's daughter already? I missed a lot of birthday parties and I gotta catch up."

"I don't think a party is what's needed, Pinkie." Rainbow spoke.

"Quite right. From the look of things, something terrible has happened. We need to take things gently. Although I am quite curious about this 'Aurora' girl. I am still surprised that Twilight of all ponies is in fact the first of the six of us to become a mother. Not even Princess Cadence and Shining Armor have any foals yet." Rarity spoke.

"Well, we'll get to meet her soon. Here comes the chariot." Spike spoke up as the chariot approached Ponyville from the sky.

* * *

Sometime later, Spike and the remaining Elements were in Canterlot and were being lead though the castle to where Princess Celestia and their friends were. Seeing them, Celestia approached them.

"I am so glad that all of you have come. Luna is about done peering into Aurora's memories. In the meantime, Applejack can tell you about what has happened."

The ponies and the dragon looked on the farmpony anxiously.

It took nearly an hour in order for Applejack to properly relay the information she and Fluttershy had received earlier that day and what was happening now. By the time she was finished, Celestia and her sister, Princess Luna, were coming out of the guestroom with grim looks on their faces.

"Well? What did ya find?" Applejack asked.

Luna took a few steps forward before giving her answer.

"I'm afraid that you're assumption was correct. Both mother and child were attacked by something. Something that clearly wanted Twilight. And sadly, it took her before the girl passed out."

Hearts became heavy at the news, but the Elements, save for Kindness, became alert.

"Just point us in the right direction and we'll show that thing whose boss!" Rainbow declared, ready for a fight. But Celestia shook her head.

"No, my little ponies. I cannot let you go and search."

The ponies and the dragon gaped.

"Huh? Why not?" Pinkie asked.

"Because while Luna and I will have our royal legions search Equestria for Twilight, you six are to be tasked with a very important mission." Celestia answered.

Rarity raised her eyebrow. "And what mission is that, Your Highness?"

Applejack turned her head to the doors as the answer came quickly.

"You want us to watch over Aurora, don't ya?"

Celestia nodded.

"Yes. While Twilight is missing, Aurora needs somepony to watch over her until her mother's return. With what's happened, I couldn't give her to her grandparents. I believe that the best course of action is for the six of you to help Aurora adjust to Equestria and to be there until she is deemed fit to travel."

"Travel? Where would she go?" Spike asked.

"We believe that once Aurora becomes well-adjusted to Equestria she should go and stay with Princess Cadence and Shining Armor in the Crystal Empire. With our soldiers stretching so thin to find Twilight Sparkle, the two of them would be able to keep their niece safe until further notice." Luna replied.

"But what could _we_ do?" Rainbow Dash asked, not sure about taking care of a strange creature, even if that creature was the child of her lost friend.

To everypony's surprise, Applejack answered with a certain authority in her voice.

"I'll give her a home on Sweet Apple Acres, give her some security. Rainbow Dash can help teach her how to walk."

"What?!"

"Rarity can make her some cloths and everything else in that department."

"Goodness!"

"Once she's a bit better, Pinkie can throw a small party to help her along."

"Okie-dokie-lokki."

"And Spike can help her with her education such as reading the Equestrian language."

"Me? A teacher?"

Luna then asked the farmpony, "What about Fluttershy?"

Applejack already had an answer.

"Since Aurora already knows me an' Fluttershy, I'd figure that it should be the two of us that breaks the news to Aurora. If she meets somepony familiar, it could be easier for her."

Celestia smiled and nodded in approval.

"Looks like you were well-prepared, Applejack. We are grateful to you."

Applejack tipped her hat as she blushed.

"Thank ya kindly, princess. But I was only thinking of Aurora."

As the ponies left for their designated rooms, Applejack walked inside the room and gazed sadly at Aurora. This was going to be a difficult journey for her, but the farmpony was going to do whatever it took to ease the burden. Placing a hoof on the sleeping girl's forehead, Applejack whispered.

"Don't worry, sugar cube. We'll take care of ya and we'll get your mother back. And that's a promise."

* * *

As the ponies retreated for the night, Celestia and Luna gathered at the castle's observatory to hold a private meeting.

"So. Do you know who is behind this foalnapping?" Celestia asked.

Luna walked over to a window and gazed at the moon, letting Celestia know who was the culprit.

"I believe that it is _him, _sister. After all these millennia, he finally makes a new move."

"But why Twilight? What could she have that he wants?" Celestia asked.

Luna shook her head as she gazed out into her dark night.

"I do not know. But I have a strong feeling that Aurora is the key to our salvation."

* * *

_Please review._


	4. Truth and Circumstances

**Chapter 4**

**Truth and Circumstances**

_Hi, everybrony! Here's another chapter of "Daughter of Magic." I can't believe how popular this is becoming._

_I have made a playlist for "Daughter of Magic" on my Youtube channel, so feel free to check it out. I'll put the link in my bio. It is not complete and not totally organized, so please bear with me._

_I do not own MLP._

* * *

The sunlight was what brought Aurora back to consciousness. A comfortable bed and sunlight waking her. Perhaps what had happened to her and her mother was but a nightmare. Soon, she would wake up, perform her morning routine, and join her mother for breakfast. Just the beginning of another normal day.

That was…until she opened her eyes.

The first place she saw was not her room. It was a beautiful pale blue room with a circling wall ending at the door. The floor was white and blue checked and, as she sat up, saw beautiful furnishings unfamiliar to her. She also found that she was in a large canopy bed with the foot facing one of the windows.

Aurora started to slide out of bed in the hopes of seeing out of said windows when she noticed something was off. The stone floor she was expecting to sense beneath her feet wasn't cold. In fact, she couldn't feel anything. Looking down, she quickly covered her mouth with her hands to cushion a scream.

Instead of human feet, she had horse's hooves.

The girl's eyes followed the hooves up to her legs, which were covered in lilac fur, and found that the horse's half only ended just below her navel under her nightshirt. With one hand, she tossed the blankets off to the side to uncover the rest of her. Lilac with a tail that matched her hair. Out of instinct, she placed her hands to the top of her head and was relieved to find that she didn't have horse's ears too. But she did touched her ears to be sure and what she felt made her look at a nearby vanity's mirror. Removing her hands, she found that hidden within her hair were her ears, but they were pointed and elfish.

Not moving from her spot, Aurora managed to choke out her words.

"W-what happened? What's happened to me?!"

She found that she had said the last sentence a little loud for a knock on the bedroom door caught her attention.

"Ya alright, sugar cube?"

Aurora immediately recognized the voice and a heavy feeling came from the pit of her stomach.

"M…Miss Applejack?"

Hearing the name, the door to her room opened and what was standing at the other side shocked Aurora. Instead of the woman she met the other day, it was a pony maybe about a few inches shorter than her. She was an orangish color with freckles. Her golden mane was hanging over one side and tied at the end as was the tail. On the pony's head was a familiar hat.

The pony's emerald eyes gave off a soft, kindly feeling that was beginning to make Aurora feel a little better as she spoke.

"I know what yer thinkin'. 'Why is der a pony in my room and why is she talkin'?'"

Aurora gave a slow nod, carefully absorbing the situation. She then looked down.

"And…my legs?"

Applejack took in a deep breath as she approached Aurora. It was no wonder Twilight said telling Aurora the truth was the toughest job she has to face as a parent.

"You might wanna get back on the bed, sugar cube. I've got a few things to say. Things yer mother was going to tell you."

Aurora's eyes widened not at this sudden information, but upon remembering what had happened to her mother.

"M…my mom?"

The pits in both pony and child's stomachs got heavier in the silence until Applejack spoke.

"I'm sorry, Aurora. But we couldn't find yer mother anywhere. Whatever it was that attacked you…it got away with her."

Grasping realization was worn on Aurora's face as she slid back onto her bed.

Her mother…was gone?

Quick to change the mood, Applejack spoke.

"But don't worry. Princess Celestia's got her guards looking every inch of Equestria for her. We'll find her. So don't go thinkin' otherwise."

But thinking otherwise was all Aurora could do. This was a situation she was dreading for nearly a year. She had already lost her father, she didn't want to lose her mother, too.

She felt a hoof on her shoulder, Applejack's no doubt, as Aurora herself managed to softly ask a different question.

"But…why…am I a…a centaur?"

Applejack raised an eyebrow at the word.

"Centaur?"

This only made things worse for Aurora.

Softly again, she spoke.

"A…a creature…that's half-human…half-horse… A creature of…myth."

She then turned her head to Applejack, whose face was back to concern.

"Why am I a centaur? Is it because of…of my mom?"

Applejack frowned sadly.

"You were able to see yer mother before she got caught…right?"

Aurora nodded as the farmpony continued.

"You see, sugar cube. The reason for why you look like a creature of myth and yer mother looked funny was because…well…"

Applejack had to force the words out of her mouth in order to get them said. It had to be done. For Aurora's sake.

"...yer mother…was never human."

She paused for a moment before she continued, letting her words sink into the child's mind.

"Yer mother was born a unicorn."

Slowly, the information wrapped itself around Aurora's mind as the words echoed in her psyche.

Her mother was a unicorn?

"And she was born here. In Equestria. In this here town, to be exact."

Still grasping the former information, Aurora managed to speak.

"E…questria?"

Before Applejack could speak, Aurora interrupted her.

"So…my mom's stories…they were true?"

Now it was Applejack's turn to be confused.

"Stories?"

Slowly nodding, Aurora answered her.

"Wh-when I was little, Mom would tell me bedtime stories of a magical kingdom of ponies called 'Equestria.' She told me those stories like she was there. But…I thought that's what they were. Stories."

She then looked out to the window, the sun still gleaming brightly. Then, she struggled to get off the bed. She was able to stand, but when she tried walk, she nearly fell weren't for Applejack catching her.

"Easy there, sugar cube. Ya ain't used to these legs yet."

She then helped Aurora make her way to the window, seeing the longing look in her eyes. She then proceeded to guide the child to the window.

"Start with the side you normally start with. Back hoof first, front hoof second. Same with the other side."

Following Applejack's instruction, Aurora tried walking again, this time slowly. She was still new to this way of walking, but at least she was getting somewhere.

With Applejack's help and instruction, Aurora was finally able to cross the room and look out window without the suns glare. What she saw furthered surprised her. She found that her room wasn't part of a house, but a tower in a beautiful-looking castle. At least, from her angle. Below the castle was a town that seemed to fit in with the setting: ponies of different sizes, colors, age, and gender walked the streets below. She had to squint her eyes to see that there were not only normal ponies, but unicorns and pegasi, too.

And beyond the town was a wide world that was both beautiful and unfamiliar to her. And that somewhere out there…was her mother.

Leading Aurora back to the bed, Applejack proceeded her lecture.

"This is the world yer mother was born, Aurora. And whether or not you accept it, yer a part of this world too. You just need to discover what you never knew."

As she propped herself on her bed, Aurora spoke.

"Then…can you tell me why my mom never told me any of this herself?"

Applejack agreed to the child's request as she sat on a chair she brought over from the other side of the room.

"Yer mother was tellin' me an' Fluttershy the same answer the other day. She wanted to wait until you were both ready. She wanted ya to have a normal upbringin' first before telling you. Yer father wanted you to know sooner, but yer mother felt neither you nor her were ready."

"So my dad…knew?" asked Aurora.

Applejack nodded.

"He did, sugar cube. And despite that, he still loved yer mother dearly from the way Twilight told me."

Another word came to Aurora's attention as she continued to ask question after question.

"How do you know my mom's nickname? I thought me and my dad were the only ones who knew Mom's nickname was 'Twilight'."

Applejack knew this and answered.

"Actually, Twyla is yer mother's nickname. Her real name is Twilight Sparkle."

Applejack then proceeded tell Aurora nearly everything she knew about Twilight, the child listening intently.

There was one part she left out, though. And that was the fights between Twilight and her friends while preparing for a wedding between a fake Princess Cadence and Shining Armor.

It was probably best if she didn't know the nastier facts that lead up to the climax.

"…yer mother found Princess Cadence suspicious and went to investigate. She discovered that the princess her brother, yer uncle, was about to marry was a fake and was able to send the real Cadence to us. But then she disappeared. We figured something' happened that sent yer mother to go through the gate forcefully and end up in the world where you were born. She met yer father immediately after she arrived."

Once she was finished, she found Aurora completely mesmerized by the tale. Over the course of the story, Aurora gave hard looks at Applejack's eyes, searching for anything that could tell that she was lying.

Being the Element of Honesty, Applejack's eyes were giving nothing but truth.

Aurora did not know whether to be amazed or terrified. On one hand, she found that the truth about her mother was really cool and she wanted to know more about her and Equestria. Yet, there was a strong fear growing inside her. A fear that would try many times to consume her. She then proceeded to ask another question.

"What am I gonna do now?"

Applejack knew this was coming. She would be wondering the same thing if she found herself all alone in a strange world with nopony familiar to her. She was lucky that she had her Granny Smith as well as her older brother and younger sister to help take the feeling away. Aurora, however, wasn't as lucky. But experience prompted Applejack to take charge in helping her.

"Well, sugar cube, I've been talkin' about it with the princesses and my friends and we believe the best thing for you is to stay in Equestria. Nopony knows when we will find yer mother, and the gate is only open for three days every twelve years. I know you don't want to, but we can't just leave ya all alone back in yer birth-world. My friends and I are willin' to help you."

Aurora brought her front legs to her face as she asked, "But how?"

Applejack explained the plan.

"Well, my family and I can take you in at our apple orchard, Sweet Apple Acres, in Ponyville. We'll gladly give you a home until ya feel better. Rainbow Dash will help you learn how to use yer new legs, and Rarity will make you new clothes. Fluttershy and I are right here if you want help and Spike can help you learn anythin' you want Equestria-related. He can even tell you more about yer mother. You can even ask Princess Celestia and Princess Luna about her."

"And…what about when I've gotten used to this place?" Aurora asked.

"Then you get to go and live with yer Aunt Cadence and Uncle Shinin' Armor in the neighboring Crystal Empire. We're afraid that whatever took yer mother might come after you next and since the princesses' guards will be stretched so thin to find her, it would be safer for you to stay in the Crystal Empire with yer kin."

A growl from Aurora's stomach interrupted Applejack, causing her to give a slight giggle.

"I'll go and get ya somethin' to eat and have Rarity help clean ya up. We can talk more after you got a full belly."

Aurora gave a nod before Applejack left.

It was about ten minutes before the door opened again, the gap giving Aurora additional time to process what she had just learned.

From the way things sounded, she could return home and await being sent to an orphanage, never seeing her mother again, or she could relocate to Equestria and perhaps help find her mother. But she would have to deal with being the only half-pony there. Weighing both options, she found that there was no way she could escape loneliness.

There was only one beneficial option for her.

When the door opened, Aurora snapped out of her thoughts just as she was on the verge of crying as a whitish-grey unicorn with a curled violet mane and tail entered her room. On her flank was a mark with three diamonds on it. Her sapphire eyes coupled with her smile sent a warmth at Aurora.

And it turned out that she wasn't alone. Flying next to her was a cyan-colored Pegasus with a rainbow-colored mane and tail. On her flank was a mark that looked like a storm cloud with a rainbow-colored lightning bolt from it. Her magenta eyes focused on her.

The unicorn was the first to speak.

"Aurora?"

Aurora nodded at the unicorn.

"I am Rarity. And the Pegasus next to me is Rainbow Dash. We're friends of your mother."

Aurora remained silent as the cyan Pegasus flew towards her.

"Alright, kid. The first order of business is to get you to the washroom."

Rainbow then held out her hooves so Aurora could use her as support.

"Ok. Applejack said she already got you started. Let's continue that pattern from there."

Aurora nodded and took the Pegasus' hooves and used her like a walker, practicing the pattern as they moved.

As they made their way out of the room and down the corridors, Aurora couldn't help but notice the beauty of the castle's interior as well. A part of her kept saying that she's still dreaming, but the rest of her senses told her otherwise.

Once they were halfway down the corridor, Rainbow spoke.

"Ok. Wanna try it on your own?"

The very thought made Aurora nervous, but she knew she had to pass the task of walking before she could continue. She just had to try. Giving a nervous nod, Aurora released her grip and spread out her arms to balance herself. Rainbow hovered close while Rarity watched nearby.

Remembering the pattern, Aurora took her first steps as a quadruped. She only got to five paces before she collapse, prompting Rainbow to catch her. With a knowing smile, she helped the half-pony up.

"Not bad for your first try. We'll just keep practicing."

The trio then continued down the corridor until they reached a lavish washroom unlike anything Aurora had ever seen. It was practically the size of her school's gym and just as pretty as the rest of the castle.

Rarity took on the task of helping Aurora getting herself cleaned up, which the unicorn did not need to do much. This was something Aurora was familiar with, with the addition of using shampoo and conditioner on her tail as well. This left Rarity to work on the shirt she made for Aurora. It wasn't fancy like her normal designs as Applejack advised her not to overdo it. It was a plain turquoise blouse with silver trimming. At the bodice was a small plum bow with a pink diamond in the center.

Hey, she said she would lay off. She didn't say anything about making an outfit appropriate for the location.

After Aurora was finished with her bath and dried off, Rarity then took to styling the child's hair and tail, much to Aurora's confusion until she decided to ask a question.

"Um…Miss Rarity?"

Rarity looked at the child's reflection as she used her magic to brush Aurora's thick hair.

"Yes, dearie?"

"Why am I getting dressed up like this? I'd be more than happy to wear something plain and left my hair alone."

Rarity was in shock for a few seconds before she remembered what Applejack told her.

"Oh. I guess Applejack hasn't said anything to you yet."

This alerted Aurora and her anxiety deepened.

"What?"

Rarity's eyes expressed concern towards the girl as she told Aurora what Applejack had yet to tell her herself.

"Well… Princess Celestia wants to meet you after breakfast."

If she had a beverage, Aurora would've immediately done a spit-take as she swallowed a gasp as she looked to Rarity's reflection.

"P…Princess Celestia…wants to see…*gulp*…me?"

The unicorn immediately took notice of Aurora shaking in anxiety as she placed a hoof on her shoulder, hoping to calm her.

"Well…yes. But you don't have to worry, dear. Princess Celestia is very nice and she was your mother's teacher. I bet she'll be very happy to meet you."

"But I don't know what to do! I mean, what if I accidentally insult by bowing the wrong way? What if my appearance grosses her out? What if…"

Rarity had to place her hoof over Aurora's mouth to get her to stop panicking.

"Easy, dear. I'm certain you don't have to worry. From the sound of it, your parents did a fine job at teaching you good manners. And this won't be the first time the princess saw you, either."

Aurora then cast a confused glance at Rarity's reflection as the unicorn got to work on making a waterfall braid on both hair and tail. "What do you mean by that?" Rarity answered her, not taking her eyes of Aurora's hair.

"It was Applejack, Fluttershy, and Princess Celestia who found you unconscious near the Gate. You were also visited by Princess Luna while you were in bed."

Despite the information clearly not easing the child, Rarity couldn't help but laugh inwardly as she saw Aurora's look.

_"She is just like her mother when she worries." _

After the unicorn was finished, Aurora was ready to go physically. But mentally, she was in a state of unrest. So much was happening and it wasn't even breakfast yet.

The fact that she was meeting the Sun Princess from her mother's stories was the icing on the multi-layered cake.

She had no idea how to act when meeting royalty. Heck, she never even met the officials of her island town. The closest she got was the local policemen who visited the school every year for safety checks and that was it.

She soon snapped out of her thoughts as Rainbow Dash returned to help the groomed Aurora to the kitchen. Unfortunately, the next hurtle were stairs. Seeing the winding staircase and couple going down said stairs with her new legs gave Aurora a nauseating feeling, freezing her in her tracks.

Rainbow noticed this and ceased the training.

"You ok?"

Aurora placed a hand over her eyes to keep herself from fainting from vertigo.

"Sorry. Stairs."

Rarity noticed and motioned Rainbow to speak with her privately.

"And how exactly are we going to get Aurora down? One misstep and it could prove disastrous."

As Rainbow and Rarity talked amongst themselves, Aurora looked around for any other pony before she could put her idea to the test. After careful positioning, and making sure no one else saw her, Aurora slid down the banister until she was at the bottom, gaining the attention of both the unicorn and Pegasus.

"Sometimes it's a good idea to practice sliding down the railing." Waved Aurora.

Rainbow approved while Rarity made notes to continue Aurora's instructions so she wouldn't need to do something so unladylike.

Without another word, the trio continued onward to the kitchen.

* * *

_Meanwhile, with Twilight…_

Twilight awoke in the same place she succumbed to sleep. A dark, dank cell. She looked at her right hind leg and saw the shackle that kept her imprisoned, the glowing symbols on it keeping her from using her magic. It was daylight according to her window, but it still felt like Celestia's sunlight was a million miles away from her.

She then went on to remembering why she was brought to this place. The…monster…that took her. He wanted her to use her magic against Equestria. How he would've accomplished it, Twilight had yet to find out. But what she _did _know was that something happened in the caves that severely weakened him. Twilight's instincts immediately told her who was responsible for the delay.

Aurora.

Even though she was concealed in the sludge, she felt the warmth of a strange power emanating from where her daughter was. Even though she wished she could have seen it for herself, Twilight knew what that power was.

It was Aurora's awakening magic.

The very thought of Aurora inheriting her magical abilities thrilled and frightened Twilight. While she was proud that her daughter did have the makings of being able to perform magic, there was the threat of uncontrolled outbursts.

Aurora was brought up with no training in magic whatsoever. This would mean that if used, her magic may become extremely difficult to control. Amplify that with the challenges the girl will have ahead of her and you've got a ticking time-bomb of magic set to go off. In the end, there was one thing that Twilight could do until she can escape.

She had to pray.

**_The Prayer_**

_I pray you'll be my eyes, and watch her where she go._  
_And help her to be wise in times when she don't know._  
_Let this be our prayer, when we lose our way._  
_Lead us to a place, guide us with your grace_  
_To a place where we'll be safe._

In the midst of her prayer, Twilight swore she could hear her late husband's voice singing with her in Latin.

_La luce che tu dai_  
_I pray we'll find your light,_

_Nel cuore restera _

_And hold it in our hearts_

_A ricordarci che_  
_When stars go out each night,_

_L'eterna stella sei._

_Remind us where you are.._

_Nella mia preghiera _

_Let this be our prayer_  
_Quanta fede c'e. _

_When shadows fill our day_

The memory of John's voice soon sang in Basic as the song continued.  
_Lead us to a place_

Twilight sang along, making sure her captor did not hear her.  
_Guide us with your grace_

_Give us faith so we'll be safe._

From then on, both Twilight's voice and her memory sung in harmony, praying for the safety and well-being of her child.

_Sogniamo un mondo senza piu violenza,_  
_Un mondo di giustizia e di speranza._  
_Ognuno dia una mano al suo vicino,_  
_Simbolo di pace...di fraternita._

_La forza che ci dai_  
_E desiderio te_  
_Ognuno trovi amor_  
_Intorno e dentro se._  
_Let this be our prayer,_  
_Just like every child._

_We ask that life be kind_  
_And watch us from above_  
_We hope each soul will find_  
_Another soul to love._  
_Let this be our prayer,_  
_Just like every child._

_Needs to find a place, guide us with your grace_  
_Give us faith so we'll be safe_  
_E la fede che hai acceso in noi_  
_Sento che ci salverai._

It was then that Twilight finally allowed her tears to fall.

She wanted to get out of here and hold her daughter in her arms. Well, forelegs now. She wanted to go home, whether it was on the islands or in Equestria and just forget about this nightmare. How she wished her beloved was still alive, then at least he could care for their daughter. But most of all, she wanted to be in his arms again. The safest place in any dimension to her.

Tears staining her cheeks, she turned her attention to the morning sun and made another plea.

"Please, Princess Celestia. Please Princess Luna. Please watch over Aurora. Please protect my child."

* * *

_I hope you've enjoyed this latest chapter. And I've got a fun teaser for your support._

_You'll never guess who's gonna teach Aurora how to manage her magic._

_If you do guess, please don't spoil it in the review._

_Please review._


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